No, I'm Not Afraid To Be Different
by leakingrainbows
Summary: [Oneshot] A story of how Hermione and Harry get together. HPHG Slight fluff. Please read!


**Disclaimer:** I do not own Harry Potter but the personalities of these characters are mostly mine. I do not wish to make it seem that J.K. Rowling's wonderful style of writing has changed drastically.

**No, I'm Not Afraid To Be Different**

Fourth year, a year of pure bliss for me, an answered prayer. Contrary to some beliefs, Hogwarts does have cliques. From first year to the earlier part of fourth year, I was part of the smart clique, lowest of the food chain.

However, that ALL changed on the day of the Yule Ball. That day, I had finally been accepted into the popular clique, which was second from the top of the food chain, after the 'popsmart' clique, only for students who were both popular and smart. Only three people had been accepted so far, consisting of Draco, Harry, Ginny and now, ME.

That was two years ago. Figures. We all, including about every sixth year in the school, had developed our hormones. It's natural, isn't it? Well, if you aren't with someone now, you aren't cool, at all. Borderline between the total dorks side of Hogwarts and the okay to completely cool side of Hogwarts, a mate. The clique rules, of course, they got completely messed up so people who were from different levels were allowed to be together but the cliques still existed. It's a complicated matter when cliques develop hormones.

For some weird reason, about everybody fell for … Draco. I don't know why though. Perhaps its those steel gray eyes of his, his slicked back blond hair, his pale skin, the fact that he was the one who founded the 'popsmart' clique, his 'naughty' side, some 'skills' I don't know (and don't plan to find out) about. Ugh, you know what I mean; I'm not going to explain it to you. What I do know, is that he grabs girls and after he's done, he throws them aside but they just go back to him for more. It's like a never-ending queue to get at it with him. In fact, I'm sure that I've seen at least three boys being turned away by him. The thought of Draco and another boy just makes me cringe; I'm not going to delve deep into details.

Well, I, on the other hand, fell for Harry. I know he's my best friend but that's what also makes him so special. I've known him for years as a best friend but now it's developing into something else, something much more special.

It wasn't long before, naturally, as a couple, I moved into his Head Boy room. Well, what else can I say? That was when everything started…

_**When we met,**_

_**I moved in,**_

_**There was something cool about you,**_

_**Even though some of my friends didn't notice it at all.**_

News that I had moved into Harry's Head Boy's Room spread like wildfire the next day. It was right under our noses but somehow we never noticed. That night, we decided to take a walk under the moonlight.

"Harry?"

"Yeah, Hermione?"

"Do you – do you really love me?"

"Of course I do. You better love me back too," he said playfully.

I tilted my head to one side as if thinking before I replied, "Hmm… Maybe… or maybe not… I'll have to get back to you on that one."

Harry glared at me in mock anger. "What did you say? WHAT did you SAY?"

My giggles turned to slight worry as I whispered, "Come on, Harry, you'll wake half the castle up!"

He leant over closer to me, "Oh yeah? Let's see if you can wake the whole castle!" He sort of jumped, caught me in his arms, and flipped over so that he landed on the ground.

I was thinking about how that must have hurt when I took notice of the grin of his face.

"Now, Harry James Potter, I do not like that grin one little bit. You wipe it off your face and let go of me."

He began to let go of me and I started to roll off him. However, before I was fully off him, he made up his mind to be evil and used his fingers to tickle my sides!

"Harry! Hahaha! Harry! Stop –hahaha- it –haha- now!" I cried out.

He did not relent, however, until he was tired from trying to hold me down while I was struggling to get free from his strong grip due to the muscles he had developed from all that Quidditch.

Finally, we lay on the ground chuckling, tears of mirth streaming down our faces as we faced the sky full of twinkling stars which were winking teasingly at us both.

_**You and me,**_

_**All alone,**_

_**Took a walk and started talking,**_

_**We stayed out, all night, counted all the stars!**_

Whoever likes someone besides Draco is considered to be stupid or uncool. Well, because I was in the 'popsmart' clique, I suspect that Draco tried to slip me a Lust Potion to prevent me from getting with Harry. I managed to avoid it with his help though.

I had been the most popular in school, even beating out Ginny who was second to me.

If I had taken the potion, I would be running after Draco but thankfully I didn't so I'm still with the one I truly love, Harry.

_**I don't care what they say,**_

_**I don't care what they do,**_

_**Cause they all fade away,**_

_**When it's just me and you.**_

I'll explain how Harry and I got together. It started when I got into the 'popsmart' clique. We became even closer.

Then, our hormones developed. Yes. It was scary but we began getting even closer to each other. At first it was just as friends, like best friends forever. Now, we're closer as in boyfriend girlfriend. I really love him a lot. If he were to die, so would I.

During the start of my relationship with him, others kind of accepted it but that would not last long.

_**When it's more than a crush,**_

_**An impossible rush,**_

_**I don't care what they say when you're there,**_

_**I don't care.**_

When all others in the school realized that we were together, PERMANENTLY, Harry was kicked out of the 'popsmart' clique. His popularity went straight downhill. Only Ronald was happy for us.

He was into the smart clique, as I mentioned before, bottom of the food chain. I, however, remained in the 'popsmart' clique as SOME boys liked me, but most liked Ginny for some unknown reason, just like Draco.

Therefore, I still hung out with Draco and Ginny sometimes but the moment Harry came over, they would make up some excuse to leave.

_**All my friends think you're weird,**_

_**But they don't know much about you,**_

_**While they just disappear,**_

_**When you're hanging out with us.**_

Harry began to be slightly stressed. After all, it isn't nice to be Mr. Popular and then suddenly turn in to Mr. Nerd. I was the only one who could calm him down.

For a week after the sudden change, it took a toll on his appearance, his hair was messier than usual, his clothes were slightly rumpled. It made him even cuter in my opinion but less hot to many others.

After lots of kisses and boosting his ego, he finally returned to normal and became the loving Harry once again. He was as nice as ever.

I was the only one who understood him and only he understood how mixed up I felt.

_**So your hair is a mess,**_

_**They don't know how good you treat me,**_

_**I pay no attention,**_

_**Cause I know who you are.**_

We gradually became more intimate and well, the 'popsmart' clique dumped me for being with him and I was returned, worn out and tired, to the smart clique.

Whenever we walked past people in the hallways and corridors, they would shout mean things at us, like, "Mrs. Nerd and Mr. Nerd, a perfect fit!"

It took me all my self-control not to whip out my wand and curse them into oblivion.

Just as I was about to do so one day after hearing that for the umpteenth time, Harry turned me away from them and kissed me. I was lost in the kiss and everyone else seemed to fade away.

In that moment, I lost all my cares and worries. I had Harry forever and that was all that was important. Nothing else mattered anymore.

_**I don't care what they say,**_

_**I don't care what they do,**_

_**Cause they all fade away,**_

_**When it's just me and you**._

From that day onwards, people jeered at us even more but we developed a sort of immune system to them. Whenever we walked past others, we looked at each other and tuned out all other noise.

It didn't affect us at all, even when our ex-clique mates laughed at us together. We were meant to be and both of us knew it. We were just waiting for the right time to make a move.

_**When it's more than a crush,**_

_**An impossible rush,**_

_**I don't care what they say when you're there.**_

When we were together in his room and we were feeling particularly sad because we had no other friends besides Ronald, we would pretend that we were still the popular people we once were. It was fake but it was all we had left of the 'popsmart' clique. Our imaginations.

When we were done fantasizing, we would kiss and remind each other that we still were together. I would be there for Harry forever and he would be there for me forever.

He would protect me, I would protect him. We loved each other so much that we would die so that the other could live.

_**Tell me stories,**_

_**Paint a picture,**_

_**Hang it in my sky.**_

We told each other everything, from big things like our insecurities or small things like why we were happy or sad. We were never separated from each other and made sure we took the same classes so we would be with each other. The only times we weren't together were when we were in the bathrooms.

We never lied to the other because we both knew that we would never betray our secrets.

The days seemed to be long when we thought of all the insults we received but when I thought of Harry and he thought of me, the days would go by far too quickly, we needed more time with each other.

_**Tell no lies,**_

_**And keep no secrets,**_

_**Time stands still as days go by.**_

We had lots and lots of memories we shared together. Our ups and downs were shared and our troubles were split between us. I knew everything there was to know about Harry. Harry knew everything there was to know about me.

We remembered how long it had taken for us to realize that we had more than crushes on each other and we were glad that we had gotten together because when you truly love somebody with all your heart, soul and mind, nothing else matters.

_**I don't care,**_

_**Oh no, no, no.**_

_**I don't care what they say,**_

_**I don't care what they do,**_

_**Cause they all fade away,**_

_**When it's just me and you.**_

_**When it's more than a crush,**_

_**An impossible rush,**_

_**I don't care what they say,**_

_**I don't care what they say,**_

_**Woah yeah!**_

**Friends respect you and who you love or what you live for. Enemies only respect your social status. **

**I don't like who others do and it cost me my entire popularity and clique. But does that mean I should cry? Does that mean I should care?**

**The answer is No. Because I'm not afraid to be different.**

_**Just me and you,**_

_**And it's more than a crush,**_

_**An impossible rush,**_

_**Oh yeah!**_

_**When you're there,**_

_**I don't care.**_

**HI! WHAT DO YOU THINK? PLEASE REVIEW! I HOPE YOU LIKED IT:)**


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